


upon sweet memories

by turnaround



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Slow Build?, Spoilers, because that's all i can write nowadays whoops, dunban approves of them, expect a lot of fluff, shulk too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 04:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3474350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turnaround/pseuds/turnaround
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fiora gazes at the moon, knowing well that it was one of the only things that connected her and Meyneth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	upon sweet memories

**Author's Note:**

> This pair needs more love. And I might have gotten some of the events mixed up chronologically? Also, sorry, Shulk.
> 
> Inspired by listening to the "To the Moon" tracks. The game has some really great music, so do check it out.
> 
> During- and post-game.

Her feelings for Shulk have vanished even before they had set eyes upon the silver mechon, which later on was revealed to be none other than his childhood friend and love who came back from the realm of death. So that wasn't the reason why she felt a twinge of jealousy when she saw him finally reunited with Fiora; it was because he was granted a second chance to be with the one he loved, and she wasn't given anything.

 

She closes her eyes and silently tells herself that Fiora's return was due to a special case, being used as a pawn of Egil's big scheme in turning Homs into machine-made servants, and that there was no way her late mother or murdered father could ever come back. She screams this reminder in her mind several times, trying hard not to replay bitter memories, until she reopens her eyes and looks once at Fiora and then to Shulk, saying, "Congratulations, Shulk. I am glad you found your childhood friend."

 

 

**(** fiora gazes at the lonely moon, melia notices. **)**

 

 

It is not easy to dislike Fiora, Melia learns, and she understands a little bit why Shulk is so in love with her, why Reyn keeps her close, why Dunban is very protective of her. But even before she sees all those, she has already been valuing the growing friendship between her and Fiora. (And, honestly, who can hate the smile belonging to the girl who had faced death and beyond?)

 

Before anyone else, it is Fiora who always comes to her during their resting periods, whether during breaks they take in between their travels or during calm, quiet nights. At first it was to make sure Melia was taking things easy, after she learns from Riki and Sharla that Melia never openly mentioned whenever she was growing physically tired from the hours-length walks and the consecutive fights. But soon enough even Melia enjoys Fiora's company and she eventually finds herself looking forward to every meeting of theirs to come.

 

Every time, she is greeted by Fiora's warm smile. That one smile is just enough for all the day's troubles and whatever weight that had settled on her shoulders in that moment to fade away. Just like that, no magic involved and no strings attached. Melia always wonders how just one simple smile is able to fix so much at once.

 

And every time, Melia notices, whatever the time of day it was, Fiora would always be looking up at the sky, where the sun and moon are. Later on, Melia decides that it is the moon because Fiora's eyes grow more fonder at night when she stares at the beautiful glow up high. Her eyes shine brightly under the rays, and Melia loves seeing how the girl becomes so radiant under the moon's splendor.

 

Her own eyes widen and Melia clasps her cheeks sharply and rapidly. Fiora turns to her, stunned by the sudden action.

 

"Melia, are you alright?!" she asks, and of course, like every single time, Melia catches the worry in her voice without fail.

 

 

**(** a crisp wind blows. her hair flows and her face relaxes. melia is in awe. **)**

 

 

She now fully understands why Reyn keeps her close, why Dunban is very protective of her, why Shulk is so in love with her.

 

Her heart hammers in her chest, her cheeks are flaring underneath her hands, and her voice is lost inside her fiery throat. At that very second, Melia falls in love.

 

**(** when fiora gazes upon the moon, melia wishes upon it. **)**

 

She thinks she is being subtle, but someone else catches on to her newfound crush. It is while Fiora is talking alone to Vanea at the deck of Junks and she is silently viewing them from a window at a floor above when Dunban leans against the wall next to her with his signature calm expression.

 

"Initially, I had thought Shulk was the one to marry Fiora," he starts off. Melia had already taken notice of his presence, but she makes no notion of turning her attention away from the two women outside. She merely hums, knowing the fact very well. Still, even when accepting that the two were meant to be, she cannot stop the prickle in her heart.

 

Dunban lets out a low sigh and takes a long look at his younger sister, who laughs at something Vanea had said. There is a warmth that spreads in his chest when he sees that, and he is certain that Melia can feel a similar sort of fervor inside of herself as well judging from the sad smile that takes form on her lips.

 

Another sigh escapes from him, but this one sounds more relieved. "Fiora always finds herself in good hands, it seems," he continues, and places a hand on Melia's shoulder. "I had thought it was only Shulk for her. Had."

 

Dunban lets go of his gentle hold on her, and before Melia could turn to him with wide eyes and rosy cheeks, he is already gone.

 

She realizes that Dunban has given her his acknowledgement and has passed the baton to her.

 

 

**(** it's as if she could _feel_ the peace when she is next to fiora. **)**

 

 

Fiora leaves again to find solitude, but Melia knows best that these are the times when Fiora seeks reassurance most. So she goes after her.

 

She finds Fiora leaning against a wall just outside the walls of the colony, clutching at where the emblem of her armor once used to be. Her breathing is slow and sounds pained (more precisely, painful?), as if reflecting on the events that had just transpired. Of course Fiora was the one to take the heavy toll of it all, so Melia wonders if any of her words would provide any sort or level of comfort.

 

Before she could retreat, Fiora voices, "Melia? You can talk to me." Melia sighs softly and slips out of hiding, laughing to herself because really, this was Fiora who could hear a footstep a mile away.

 

Fiora motions her to follow, and Melia does with no questions asked. They sit side by side on a field of grass not far from the colony borders. Melia thinks that this was probably how Fiora and the others must have relaxed when times called for it. It's peaceful, she notes. Or maybe she feels more at peace because Fiora is besides her, living and breathing.

 

"Somehow," Fiora starts, folding her arms and placing them on top of her knees. She rests her head on them, stares off at the distance, and continues, "when I'm with you, Melia, it's like I don't have much to worry about."

 

Melia is about to say that it was the other way around, that Fiora was the one with the innate ability, but decides against it when she sees the tranquil smile on Fiora's face. It's almost as if it is just the two of them, sharing the same time and moon, with no troubles that lingered in their pasts and present. Almost, Melia stresses, because Fiora's smile begins to fade.

 

"Do not carry your burden alone," Melia says, in hopes of bringing back the smile, even if it's small. "Shulk is our friend. We know that he can overcome this. If you have, then he will as well."

 

It works. Fiora laughs, the air she breathes out is already lighter. "It's not like me to doubt. Shulk always pulled through whatever situation, except maybe when Reyn threw a caterpillar at him."

 

Melia laughs with her, and she feels the heavy load of the atmosphere already lifting. It really did feel good like this—her world became so much luminous and featherweight since Fiora entered. She only hopes that it was unmistakably the same for Fiora.

 

"Sounds like you had quite the adventure with them," Melia responds.

 

"Oh, yes!" Fiora's head picks up and she grins. "I'll tell you all the moments one day, Melia. When all this is over, we should both sit back, relax, and exchange stories of our childhood! That way, we can get to know each other better. Though..." she trails off and puts on a pensive expression, "...it kind of feels like I've known you a lifetime."

 

Melia nods her head at that, and her eyes focuses at the landscape in the horizon. "I agree. We may have not known each other long, nevertheless time does not speak for itself in this case."

 

"Yeah." Fiora tucks a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "The breeze out here feels so good, doesn't it?"

 

Just from that one question, she can tell that Fiora feels peace despite all the disarray. It's a good sign. Melia closes her eyes to take in the fresh, crisp air and lets the wind carry her worries away.

 

She looks at Fiora again and listens to the more evened out breathing from Fiora's lips. But Melia knows, from observing Fiora's actions from her talk with Vanea, that she's not at her best physically.

 

It seems that Fiora caught on from the uneasiness in her eyes, because she says, "I'll be fine. Even though Meyneth's Monado and her spirit are gone, I still have some stored energy left. I won't back down, not yet. I still want to fight alongside Shulk and everyone until the very end."

 

"But—"

 

Her sentence is cut when Fiora shakes her head. "Most of all, I want to carry Meyneth's wish. She's the reason why I'm here, why I can still live. And," Fiora pauses for a moment, hesitant on talking more, but she presses on, "I haven't told anyone else this, but I can still see memories of her life from beyond this world."

 

Melia grows curious at that. "What do you mean?"

 

"I..." she chooses her words carefully, "I don't think it's a good time to say now, but I promise to tell you after everything. I'm sure Meyneth won't mind that I tell you, Melia."

 

"Are you certain?"

 

"Yep! I think she would be happy that I told someone else about this, to someone whom I place one-hundred percent of my trust in!"

 

Melia's heart flutters at that. She's happy and excited, and mere words couldn't justify those emotions. It felt good, hearing words that could make her look forward to the future with only pure joy.

 

She is broken out of her thoughts when she sees Fiora looking at her with the brightest of eyes and her pinky curved halfway inwards. "Promise?" she says, the degree of her voice softened, but the single, placid word speaks volumes.

 

And quite simply but warmly, Melia seals the deal.

 

"Promise."

 

 

**(** the end to the long fight comes, and melia feels at heaven. **)**

 

 

Going to Colony Nine has been a far, long journey without the use of a pod and she knows that she had kept Fiora much longer, but she knew they had all the time in the world now. She had reflected, grown, and took in the sights of the new world in between their homes. She couldn't wait to tell Fiora of her findings.

 

And it seemed that she did not need to go through the trouble of searching. Fiora was already at the entrance, standing besides Shulk, Reyn, Dunban, Sharla, and even Riki. (Shulk gives her the look that Dunban had given to before way before, and she sees that he had given her his approval, too.)

 

Fiora had the biggest of smiles on her face, and she cups her mouth with her hands and fervently shouts,

 

"Welcome home, Melia!"

 

 

**(** and it's back to the moon. **)**

 

 

They're sitting at the bench in Sunrise Park, hand-in-hand, in their well-deserved world. This is happiness, Melia thinks. Everything is tender, warm, and so loving.

 

"Hey, Melia?" Fiora asks. "Do you think we once lived on that world where Meyneth and Zanza were from in our past lives?"

 

"Why do you suppose so?"

 

"I'm not sure..." Fiora purses her lips and looks up at the night sky and stars. "After taking a good look at her human memories, I thought that maybe, in some time before we were given birth on Bionis, that we were also from their home. Maybe I was Meyneth's daughter or sister or something!"

 

Melia smiles fondly. "You sound excited."

 

Fiora giggles. "Am I?" She laces their fingers together, to which Melia blushes at. They both know, however, that they were more content this way.

 

"You know how I look at the moon a lot?" Fiora questions, and Melia nods. "I wasn't sure why, but I think I've finally come to a conclusion."

 

Melia tilts her head, waiting for Fiora to continue. She sucks in some air, places a hand to her Homs body, where the emblem that held Meyneth's Monado once was.

 

"It's because the memory where Zanza destroyed the world took place in space, where the moon shines the brightest and where it is all the time. If there's one thing that Meyneth and I shared, it was the moon. Plus..."

 

Fiora looks down at their intertwined fingers, takes in the sight for a cherishing moment, and says, "Melia. You and I, we also share the same moon. I like to think of the moon as a way to bring us closer together."

 

This is their truly their moment. Melia thinks to herself that she has really found love, peace, and heaven. It is in this very moment that they share their first kiss, and they both couldn't have this any other way.

 

 


End file.
